Woman Charged With Killing Her Ex-boyfriend

JAMES CITY — The homicide victim, Ralph Quincy Carter Jr., was the lead custodian at Lafayette High School.

A 42-year-old James City County woman was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder after she shot her former boyfriend to death, police said.

Wanda D. Burnette was being held without bond Wednesday evening at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.

Police said Burnette shot Ralph Quincy Carter Jr., 64, multiple times in his home on Ironbound Road after a dispute. The two had been dating until recently, James City Police Lt. Andy Barker said.

Carter was already dead when police arrived Wednesday morning.

Police learned of the shooting about 10 a.m. when Burnette called 911 from her home to say Carter had been shot on Ironbound Road. Barker said she had trouble telling authorities where on Ironbound Road Carter was.

Police went to Burnette's James City home and questioned her about the incident while they attempted to find Carter, locating him after they got a description of his car.

Syflorinia Carter, who had been married to Carter and raised a son with him, lives in an apartment that was attached to his house.

She said the two, although separated, maintained a friendship.

Carter said when her daughter picked her up about 8:50 a.m. to take her to work Wednesday, she didn't know anything was wrong. She'd heard a couple of doors slam but didn't think anything of it.

Syflorinia Carter, who seemed shaken by Ralph Carter's death Wednesday afternoon, said she knew he had been to his mother's house to fix breakfast that morning.

While standing outside his home, she told an officer who stood guard outside that nobody was telling her anything about his death.

Although the two were separated, she said Ralph Carter still looked out for her. "Ralph is easygoing," she said. "Real humble. He'll give you everything he's got."

She said he didn't burden anyone with his troubles. "If he had something on his mind, he'd never tell you," Cater said.

In addition to the son the two had, Ralph Carter raised two stepdaughters and had four grandchildren, she said.

Ralph Carter was the lead custodian at Lafayette High School. Shawneeka Selby, a woman who grew up down the street from Carter, called him a "very sweet" man.